European battery storage growth seen accelerating by 2030

By Danny Callaghan

June 23 (Reuters) - Annual battery storage installations in Europe are set to accelerate sharply by the end of the decade, driven by larger utility-scale projects, though deployment in the European Union is still too slow to meet the bloc's energy goals, SolarPower Europe said on Tuesday.

New annual installations are projected to reach 138 gigawatt hours by 2030, according to the industry group's report, up from current levels as bigger grid-scale batteries lead expansion.

As Europe turns to solar and wind-powered electricity, flexible battery systems are increasingly used to store surplus energy during low-consumption periods for when demand rises.

• The industry association estimates the EU's total battery storage capacity to reach 470 GWh by 2030, rising from 77 GWh in 2025 but falling short of the 600 GWh needed to align with its security, competitiveness and climate objectives

• Europe, including the EU, UK, Switzerland, Ukraine and Turkey, installed 36 GWh of new battery storage last year, up 48% compared to 2024

• Utility-scale batteries are set to drive the expansion of storage systems as the rollout of renewables raises demand for flexible systems and falling technology costs favour large projects

• Utility-scale batteries are projected to account for three quarters (75%) of Europe's annual storage market by 2030, up from 53% last year

• Germany, the UK and Italy installed the highest volume of battery storage in 2025, while Ukraine and Bulgaria, which registered the fastest growth rate in Europe, entered the continent's top five largest markets

• "Europe’s battery market is moving in the right direction, but we are not yet where we need to be," chief executive Walburga Hemetsberger said

(Reporting by Danny Callaghan; Editing by Matt Scuffham)